On 28 May 2010,
Lleida became the first city in Spain to ban the wearing of burqas
or face-covering niqabs in municipal buildings. El Vendrell municipal
council followed suit on 11 June, as did Barcelona and Tarragona
on 14 June, meaning that three out of four Catalan capitals are
now imposing the measure, a version of which that sought to impose
the ban in the streets and was narrowly defeated in the fourth
capital, Girona. Commenting on the heated debate over a measure
that is believed to affect less than ten burqa-wearing women
in Catalunya, social scientist Gemma Galdón Clavell notes
that the measure is part of a "continuum of policies to
monitor and control public space" in three towns that have
been leading the way in this direction (Lleida, El Vendrell and
Barcelona), and contributes to making the far-right's arguments
part of the mainstream debate through measures "proposed
by the right and the extreme right but finally implemented by
centre-left and centre-right local governments". In El Vendrell,
the far-right Plataforma per Catalunya party leader Josep Anglada
claimed paternity of the measure that it has advocated since
2007, adding that "This does not end here". The Partido
Popular linked the measure to immigration, "Our goal is
for the problem of immigration to be discussed", whereas
Jordi Hereu, Partido Socialista de Catalunya (PSC) mayor of Barcelona,
spoke of "identification and security" reasons, by
noting that "motorcycle helmets" and "ski masks"
would not be allowed either, as garments that cover one's face,
although why someone would wear them in this context is unclear.

The burqa and electoral
profitability:
Statement from SOS Racismo Catalunya

SOS Racismo warns of the danger that false debates such as [the
one about] the prohibition of the burqa entail. This is in response
to the growing number of measures to ban the burqa that were
approved by Catalan town councils, with the latest announced
by the Barcelona city council.

From SOS Racismo, as an an organisation for the defence of human
rights from an anti-racist standpoint, we wish to report that:

This is a false debate that was created for the sole purpose
of attaining electoral gain.
It does not reflect a real social concern, it has only gained
prominence as a concern among the population when politicians,
alongside the media, placed it on the agenda of current events.
Far from defending the rights of people, what these measures
do is to worsen the situation of vulnerability of a sector of
the population.

They fuel racism and the criminalisation of the migrant population.
They also place us in danger of a social rift.

The seriousness and irresponsibility of political parties and
town councils which have submitted proposals without a prior
in-depth analysis. They only seek to be in the lead in a frenetic
race to be the standard-bearers of heavy-handedness towards the
immigrant population without worrying about its consequences.
There are also instances of incoherence within the same political
party.

The lack of answers from the political groups and town council
governments to which we have expressed our position about this
situation. This silence represents their lack of interest for
social concerns that do not bring votes.

In this context, we demand:

That political parties and institutions cease involving themselves
in any false debates that endanger coexistence and social cohesion.

Political responsibility and commitment not to make an electoralist
use of immigration and to struggle actively against racism. We
feel that in a moment such as this one, it is important to enact
the agreements signed in the National Pact for Immigration.

That local, autonomous community [regional, expression used to
encompass the different statuses that apply to them] and state
governments promote real measures to defend equality of rights.
That civil society and the media claim a responsible and serious
debate as their own.

From SOS Racismo, we express our deep concern for the speed with
which the discourse for the curtailing of rights is spreading,
the case of the prohibition of burqas like that of not allowing
registration in the municipal register for immigrants in an irregular
situation.

We warn of the dangers that it means for our society to accept
this discourse, and even to praise it. There is a need for political
parties, institutions, the associative texture and society at
large to construct a firm response before the incipient culture
of restriction of rights that affects all of us, the people who
form part of Catalan society.

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